Overview of Firmware

Cisco UCS uses firmware obtained from and certified by Cisco to support the endpoints in a Cisco UCS domain. Each endpoint is a component in the Cisco UCS domain that requires firmware to function. The upgrade order for the endpoints in a Cisco UCS domain depends upon the upgrade path, but includes the following:

Cisco UCS Manager

I/O modules

Fabric interconnects

Endpoints physically located on adapters, including NIC and HBA firmware, and Option ROM (where applicable) that can be upgraded through firmware packages included in a service profile

Endpoints physically located on servers, such as the BIOS, storage controller (RAID controller), and Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) that can be upgraded through firmware packages included in a service profile

See the required order of steps for your upgrade path to determine the appropriate order in which to upgrade the endpoints in your Cisco UCS domain.

Note

Beginning with Cisco UCS, Release 1.4(1), Cisco is releasing firmware upgrades in multiple bundles, rather than one large firmware package. For more information see Firmware Image Management.

Changes the firmware running on an endpoint to another image, such as a release or patch. Upgrade includes both update and activation.

Update

Copies the firmware image to the backup partition on an endpoint.

Activate

Sets the firmware in the backup partition as the active firmware version on the endpoint. Activation can require or cause the reboot of an endpoint.

For Management Extensions and Capability Catalog upgrades, update and activate occur simultaneously. You only need to update or activate those upgrades. You do not need to perform both steps.

Firmware Image Management

Cisco delivers all firmware updates to Cisco UCS components in bundles of images. Cisco UCS firmware updates are available to be downloaded in the following bundles:

Cisco UCS Infrastructure Software Bundle

This bundle includes the following firmware images that are required to update the following components:

Cisco UCS Manager software

Kernel and system firmware for the fabric interconnects

I/O module firmware

Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Server Software Bundle

This bundle includes the following firmware images that are required to update the firmware for the blade servers in a Cisco UCS domain. In addition to the bundles created for a release, these bundles can also be released between infrastructure bundles to enable Cisco UCS Manager to support a blade server that is not included in the most recent infrastructure bundle.

CIMC firmware

BIOS firmware

Adapter firmware

Board controller firmware

Third-party firmware images required by the new server

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Server Software Bundle

This bundle includes the following firmware images that are required to update components on rack-mount servers that have been integrated with and are managed by Cisco UCS Manager:

CIMC firmware

BIOS firmware

Adapter firmware

Storage controller firmware

Note

You cannot use this bundle for standalone C-series servers. The firmware management system in those servers cannot interpret the header required by Cisco UCS Manager. For information on how to upgrade standalone C-series servers, see the C-series configuration guides.

Cisco also provides release notes, which you can obtain on the same website from which you obtained the bundles.

Firmware Image Headers

Compatibility information that the system can use to verify the compatibility of component images and any dependencies

Firmware Image Catalog

Cisco UCS Manager provides you with two views of the catalog of firmware images and their contents that have been downloaded to the fabric interconnect:

Packages

This view provides you with a read-only representation of the firmware bundles that have been downloaded onto the fabric interconnect. This view is sorted by image, not by the contents of the image. For packages, you can use this view to see which component images are in each downloaded firmware bundle.

Images

The images view lists the component images available on the system. You cannot use this view to see complete firmware bundles or to group the images by bundle. The information available about each component image includes the name of the component, the image size, the image version, and the vendor and model of the component.

You can use this view to identify the firmware updates available for each component. You can also use this view to delete obsolete and unneeded images. Cisco UCS Manager deletes a package after all images in the package have been deleted.

Tip

Cisco UCS Manager stores the images in bootflash on the fabric interconnect. In a cluster system, space usage in bootflash on both fabric interconnects is the same, because all images are synchronized between them. If Cisco UCS Manager reports that the bootflash is out of space, delete obsolete images to free up space.

Firmware Versions

The firmware version terminology used depends upon the type of endpoint, as follows:

Firmware Versions in CIMC, I/O Modules, and Adapters

Each CIMC, I/O module, and adapter has two slots for firmware in flash. Each slot holds a version of firmware. One slot is active and the other is the backup slot. A component boots from whichever slot is designated as active.

The following firmware version terminology is used in Cisco UCS Manager:

Running Version

The running version is the firmware that is active and in use by the endpoint.

Startup Version

The startup version is the firmware that will be used when the endpoint next boots up. Cisco UCS Manager uses the activate operation to change the startup version.

Backup Version

The backup version is the firmware in the other slot and is not in use by the endpoint. This version can be firmware that you have updated to the endpoint but have not yet activated, or it can be an older firmware version that was replaced by a recently activated version. Cisco UCS Manager uses the update operation to replace the image in the backup slot.

If the endpoint cannot boot from the startup version, it boots from the backup version.

Firmware Versions in the Fabric Interconnect and Cisco UCS Manager

You can only activate the fabric interconnect firmware and Cisco UCS Manager on the fabric interconnect. The fabric interconnect and Cisco UCS Manager firmware do not have backup versions, because all the images are stored on the fabric interconnect. As a result, the number of bootable fabric interconnect images is not limited to two, like the server CIMC and adapters. Instead, the number of bootable fabric interconnect images is limited by the available space in the memory of the fabric interconnect and the number of images stored there.

The fabric interconnect and Cisco UCS Manager firmware have running and startup versions of the kernel and system firmware. The kernel and system firmware must run the same versions of firmware.

Firmware Upgrades

Cisco UCS firmware is upgraded through a combination of the following methods:

Direct upgrade at the endpoints. For a cluster configuration with two fabric interconnects, a direct upgrade can be minimally disruptive to data traffic. However, it requires that the Cisco UCS domain does not include firmware policies for those endpoints that you upgrade directly. You cannot avoid disruption to traffic in a Cisco UCS domain with only one fabric interconnect.

Note

Direct upgrade is not available for all endpoints, including the server BIOS, storage controller, HBA firmware, and HBA option ROM. You must upgrade those endpoints through the host firmware package included in the service profile associated with the server.

Upgrades to server endpoints through service profiles that include a host firmware package, a management firmware package, or both. This method can be disruptive to data traffic and should be performed during a maintenance window.

Note

The Cisco UCS Manager CLI does not allow you to upgrade hardware that is not supported in the release to which you are upgrading, Cisco UCS Manager CLI displays an error message if you attempt to upgrade hardware to an unsupported release.

Cautions, Guidelines, and Best Practices for Firmware Upgrades

Before you upgrade the firmware for any endpoint in a Cisco UCS domain, consider the following cautions, guidelines, and best practices:

Note

The Cisco UCS Manager CLI does not allow you to upgrade hardware that is not supported in the release to which you are upgrading, Cisco UCS Manager CLI displays an error message if you attempt to upgrade hardware to an unsupported release.

Configuration Changes and Settings that Can Impact Upgrades

Depending upon the configuration of your Cisco UCS domain, the following changes may require you to make configuration changes after you upgrade. To avoid faults and other issues, we recommend that you make any required changes before you upgrade.

In Cisco UCS 1.4 and earlier releases, Ethernet VLANs and FCoE VLANs could have overlapping VLAN IDs. However, starting with Cisco UCS release 2.0, overlapping VLAN IDs are not allowed. If Cisco UCS Manager detects overlapping VLAN IDs during an upgrade, it raises a critical fault. If you do not reconfigure your VLAN IDs, Cisco UCS Manager raises a critical fault and drops Ethernet traffic on the overlapped VLANs. Therefore, we recommend that you ensure there are no overlapping Ethernet and FCoE VLAN IDs before you upgrade to Cisco UCS release 2.0.

If you did not explicitly configure the FCoE VLAN ID for a VSAN in Cisco UCS 1.4 and earlier releases, Cisco UCS Manager assigned VLAN 1 as the default FCoE VLAN for the default VSAN (with default VSAN ID 1). In those releases, VLAN 1 was also used as the default VLAN for Ethernet traffic. Therefore, if you accepted the default VLAN ID for the FCoE VLAN and one or more Ethernet VLANs, you must reconfigure the VLAN IDs for either the FCoE VLAN(s) on the VSAN(s) or the Ethernet VLAN(s).

For a new installation of Cisco UCS release 2.0, the default VLAN IDs are as follows:

The default Ethernet VLAN ID is 1.

The default FCoE VLAN ID is 4048.

After an upgrade from
Cisco UCS release 1.4, where VLAN ID 4048 was used for FCoE storage port native VLAN, to release 2.0, the default VLAN IDs are as follows:

The default Ethernet VLAN ID is 1.

The current default FCoE VLAN ID is preserved. Cisco UCS Manager raises a critical fault on the conflicting Ethernet VLAN, if any. You must change one of the VLAN IDs to a VLAN ID that is not used or reserved.

Note

If a Cisco UCS domain uses one of the default VLAN IDs, which results in overlapping VLANs, you can change one or more of the default VLAN IDs to any VLAN ID that is not used or reserved. In release 2.0, VLANs with IDs from 3968 to 4047 are reserved.

VSANs with IDs in the Reserved Range are not Operational

A VSAN with an ID in the reserved range is not operational after an upgrade. Make sure that none of the VSANs configured in Cisco UCS Manager are in the reserved range, as follows:

If you plan to use FC switch mode in a Cisco UCS domain, do not configure VSANs with an ID in the range from 3040 to 4078.

If you plan to use FC end-host mode in a Cisco UCS domain, do not configure VSANs with an ID in the range from 3840 to 4079.

If a VSAN has an ID in the reserved range, change that VSAN ID to any VSAN ID that is not used or reserved.

All Connectivity May Be Lost During Upgrades if vNIC Failover and NIC Teaming Are Both Enabled

All connectivity may be lost during firmware upgrades if you have configured both Enable Failover on one or more vNICs and you have also configured NIC teaming/bonding at the host operating system level. Please design for availability by using one or the other method, but never both.

To determine whether you have enabled failover for one or more vNICs in a Cisco UCS domain, verify the configuration of the vNICs within each service profile associated with a server. For more information, see the Cisco UCS Manager configuration guide for the release that you are running.

Impact of Upgrade from a Release Prior to Release 1.3(1i)

An upgrade from an earlier Cisco UCS firmware release to release 1.3(1i) or higher has the following impact on the Protect Configuration property of the local disk configuration policy the first time servers are associated with service profiles after the upgrade:

Unassociated Servers

After you upgrade the Cisco UCS domain, the initial server association proceeds without configuration errors whether or not the local disk configuration policy matches the server hardware. Even if you enable the Protect Configuration property, Cisco UCS does not protect the user data on the server if there are configuration mismatches between the local disk configuration policy on the previous service profile and the policy in the new service profile.

Note

If you enable the Protect Configuration property and the local disk configuration policy encounters mismatches between the previous service profile and the new service profile, all subsequent service profile associations with the server are blocked.

Associated Servers

Any servers that are already associated with service profiles do not reboot after the upgrade. Cisco UCS Manager does not report any configuration errors if there is a mismatch between the local disk configuration policy and the server hardware.

When a service profile is disassociated from a server and a new service profile associated, the setting for the Protect Configuration property in the new service profile takes precedence and overwrites the setting in the previous service profile.

Hardware-Related Guidelines and Best Practices for Firmware Upgrades

The hardware in a Cisco UCS domain can impact how you upgrade. Before you upgrade any endpoint, consider the following guidelines and best practices:

No Server or Chassis Maintenance

Caution

Do not remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update process has completed. If the hardware is removed or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the firmware update fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on an endpoint with a corrupted backup partition.

Avoid Replacing RAID-Configured Hard Disks Prior to Upgrade

Under the following circumstances, Cisco UCS Manager may scrub all data on a hard disk as part of the RAID synchronization process during an upgrade of the server firmware:

The hard disks in the server are configured for RAID.

One or more of the RAID-configured hard disks in the server are removed.

The hard disk or disks are replaced with hard disks that are configured with a pre-existing RAID and the local disk configuration policy included in the service profile on the server is not used to configure those hard disks.

The server firmware is upgraded, causing the server to reboot and Cisco UCS Manager to begin the RAID synchronization process.

If the original hard disks contained vital data that needs to preserved, avoid inserting new hard disks that are already configured for RAID.

You cannot upgrade Cisco UCS Gen-2 adapters directly at the endpoints. You must upgrade the firmware on those adapters through a host firmware package.

Cannot Upgrade Cisco UCS 82598KR-CI 10-Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

The firmware on the Cisco UCS 82598KR-CI 10-Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (N20-AI0002), Intel-based adapter card, is burned into the hardware at manufacture. You cannot upgrade the firmware on this adapter.

Number of Fabric Interconnects

For a cluster configuration with two fabric interconnects, you can take advantage of the failover between the fabric interconnects and perform a direct firmware upgrade of the endpoints without disrupting data traffic. However, you cannot avoid disrupting data traffic for those endpoints which must be upgraded through a host or management firmware package.

For a standalone configuration with a single fabric interconnect, you can minimize the disruption to data traffic when you perform a direct firmware upgrade of the endpoints. However, you must reboot the fabric interconnect to complete the upgrade and, therefore, cannot avoid disrupting traffic.

Firmware- and Software-Related Best Practices for Upgrades

Before you upgrade any endpoint, consider the following guidelines and best practices:

Determine Appropriate Type of Firmware Upgrade for Each Endpoint

Some endpoints, such as adapters and the server CIMC, can be upgraded through either a direct firmware upgrade or a firmware package included in a service profile. The configuration of a Cisco UCS domain determines how you upgrade these endpoints. If the service profiles associated with the servers include a host firmware package, upgrade the adapters for those servers through the firmware package. In the same way, if the service profiles associated with the servers include a management firmware package, upgrade the CIMC for those servers through the firmware package.

Upgrades of a CIMC through a management firmware package or an adapter through a firmware package in the service profile associated with the server take precedence over direct firmware upgrades. You cannot directly upgrade an endpoint if the service profile associated with the server includes a firmware package. To perform a direct upgrade, you must remove the firmware package from the service profile.

Do Not Activate All Endpoints Simultaneously in Cisco UCS Manager GUI

If you use Cisco UCS Manager GUI to update the firmware, do not select ALL from the Filter drop-down list in the Activate Firmware dialog box to activate all endpoints simultaneously. Many firmware releases and patches have dependencies that require the endpoints to be activated in a specific order for the firmware update to succeed. This order can change depending upon the contents of the release or patch. Activating all endpoints does not guarantee that the updates occur in the required order and can disrupt communications between the endpoints and the fabric interconnects and Cisco UCS Manager. For information about the dependencies in a specific release or patch, see the release notes provided with that release or patch.

Impact of Activation for Adapters and I/O Modules

During a direct upgrade, you should configure Set Startup Version Only for an adapter. With this setting, the activated firmware moves into the pending-next-boot state, and the server is not immediately rebooted. The activated firmware does not become the running version of firmware on the adapter until the server is rebooted. You cannot configure Set Startup Version Only for an adapter in the host firmware package.

If a server is not associated with a service profile, the activated firmware remains in the pending-next-boot state. Cisco UCS Manager does not reboot the endpoints or activate the firmware until the server is associated with a service profile. If necessary, you can manually reboot or reset an unassociated server to activate the firmware.

When you configure Set Startup Version Only for an I/O module, the I/O module is rebooted when the fabric interconnect in its data path is rebooted. If you do not configure Set Startup Version Only for an I/O module, the I/O module reboots and disrupts traffic. In addition, if Cisco UCS Manager detects a protocol and firmware version mismatch between the fabric interconnect and the I/O module, Cisco UCS Manager automatically updates the I/O module with the firmware version that matches the firmware in the fabric interconnect and then activates the firmware and reboots the I/O module again.

Select Ignore Compatibility Check When Upgrading

During a direct upgrade to a newer release, we recommend that you choose Ignore Compatibility Check. Newer releases may have incompatible code with older releases. This option ensures that the upgrade can proceed and avoids compatibility issues.

Disable Call Home before Upgrading to Avoid Unnecessary Alerts (Optional)

When you upgrade a Cisco UCS domain, Cisco UCS Manager restarts the components to complete the upgrade process. This restart causes events that are identical to service disruptions and component failures that trigger Call Home alerts to be sent. If you do not disable Call Home before you begin the upgrade, you can ignore the alerts generated by the upgrade-related component restarts.

Required Order of Components for Firmware Activation

If you upgrade firmware by individual components in a Cisco UCS domain, activate the updates in the required order for quicker activation and to avoid potential issues with conflicting firmware versions.

Summary of Steps for Upgrading from Cisco UCS, Release 1.0(2) and Later

Update host firmware package(s) for servers—Must be the last firmware upgraded. We recommend that you upgrade the board controller firmware during this step to avoid an additional reboot of servers with that firmware. You must upgrade the following firmware in a host firmware package:

BIOS

Storage controller

Certain adapters

(Optional) Enable Call Home—If you disabled Call Home before the upgrading the firmware, enable Call Home.

Update host firmware package(s) for servers—Must be the last firmware upgraded. We recommend that you upgrade the board controller firmware during this step to avoid an additional reboot of servers with that firmware. You must upgrade the following firmware in a host firmware package:

BIOS

Storage controller

Certain adapters

(Optional) Enable Call Home—If you disabled Call Home before the upgrading the firmware, enable Call Home.

Required Order for Adding Support for Previously Unsupported Servers

From Cisco UCS, Release 1.4(1) and later, the method for adding support for previously unsupported type of servers, such as a new blade server or a rack-mount server, to an existing Cisco UCS domain requires the following additional steps after you upgrade your existing firmware to the new release.

Adding Support for a Previously Unsupported Cisco UCS Blade Server

After you upgrade the firmware for the existing components, you can add support for a previously unsupported server that was released between infrastructure bundle releases. When you add the first server of a previously unsupported type of blade server, you must perform the steps to enable Cisco UCS Manager to support that type of server in the following order:

Insert the blade server into the chassis as described in the server installation guide. Cisco UCS Manager cannot discover the server as it is unsupported, and the finite state machine (FSM) for the discovery fails with an unsupported server error.

Obtain the B-Series server bundle for the new blade server from Cisco.com and download it to the fabric interconnect.

Activate the Capability Catalog image from the server bundle.

Activate the Management Extension from the server bundle.

Wait for Cisco UCS Manager to retry discovery of the new server. If server discovery does not begin within a few minutes, acknowledge the server.

Note

You only need to perform these steps for the first server of a previously unsupported type of blade server. Cisco UCS Manager discovers all subsequent servers of that type automatically.

IntegratingCisco UCS Rack-Mount Servers

After you upgrade the firmware for the existing components, you can integrate one or more Cisco UCS rack-mount servers. When you integrate rack-mount servers, you must perform the steps in the following order:

If you have not already done so, configure the rack server discovery policy in Cisco UCS Manager.

Wait for Cisco UCS Manager to discover the new server. If server discovery does not begin within a few minutes, acknowledge the server.

Direct Firmware Upgrade at Endpoints

If you follow the correct procedure and apply the upgrades in the correct order, a direct firmware upgrade and the activation of the new firmware version on the endpoints is minimally disruptive to traffic in a Cisco UCS domain.

You can directly upgrade the firmware on the following endpoints:

Adapters

CIMCs

I/O modules

Board controllers

Cisco UCS Manager

Fabric interconnects

The adapter and board controller firmware can also be upgraded through the host firmware package in the service profile. If you use a host firmware package to upgrade this firmware, you can reduce the number of times a server needs to be rebooted during the firmware upgrade process.

Note

Upgrades of a CIMC through a management firmware package or an adapter through a firmware package in the service profile associated with the server take precedence over direct firmware upgrades. You cannot directly upgrade an endpoint if the service profile associated with the server includes a firmware package. To perform a direct upgrade, you must remove the firmware package from the service profile.

Stages of a Direct Firmware Upgrade

Cisco UCS Manager separates the direct upgrade process into two stages to ensure that you can push the firmware to an endpoint while the system is running without affecting uptime on the server or other endpoints.

Update

During this stage, the system copies the selected firmware version from the primary fabric interconnect to the backup partition in the endpoint and verifies that the firmware image is not corrupt. The update process always overwrites the firmware in the backup slot.

The update stage applies only to the following endpoints:

Adapters

CIMCs

I/O modules

Caution

Do not remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update process has completed. If the hardware is removed or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the firmware update fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on an endpoint with a corrupted backup partition.

Activate

During this stage, the system sets the specified image version (normally the backup version) as the startup version and, if you do not specify Set Startup Version Only, immediately reboots the endpoint. When the endpoint is rebooted, the backup partition becomes the active partition, and the active partition becomes the backup partition. The firmware in the new active partition becomes the startup version and the running version.

The following endpoints only require activation because the specified firmware image already exists on the endpoint:

Cisco UCS Manager

Fabric interconnects

Board controllers on those servers that support them

When the firmware is activated, the endpoint is rebooted and the new firmware becomes the active kernel version and system version. If the endpoint cannot boot from the startup firmware, it defaults to the backup version and raises a fault.

Caution

When you configure Set Startup Version Only for an I/O module, the I/O module is rebooted when the fabric interconnect in its data path is rebooted. If you do not configure Set Startup Version Only for an I/O module, the I/O module reboots and disrupts traffic. In addition, if Cisco UCS Manager detects a protocol and firmware version mismatch between the fabric interconnect and the I/O module, Cisco UCS Manager automatically updates the I/O module with the firmware version that matches the firmware in the fabric interconnect and then activates the firmware and reboots the I/O module again.

Outage Impacts of Direct Firmware Upgrades

When you perform a direct firmware upgrade on an endpoint, you can disrupt traffic or cause an outage in one or more of the endpoints in the Cisco UCS domain.

Outage Impact of a Fabric Interconnect Firmware Upgrade

When you upgrade the firmware for a fabric interconnect, you cause the following outage impacts and disruptions:

The fabric interconnect reboots.

The corresponding I/O modules reboot.

Outage Impact of a Cisco UCS Manager Firmware Upgrade

A firmware upgrade to Cisco UCS Manager causes the following disruptions:

Cisco UCS Manager GUI—All users logged in to Cisco UCS Manager GUI are logged out and their sessions ended. Any unsaved work in progress is lost.

Cisco UCS Manager CLI—All users logged in through telnet are logged out and their sessions ended.

Outage Impact of an I/O Module Firmware Upgrade

When you upgrade the firmware for an I/O module, you cause the following outage impacts and disruptions:

For a standalone configuration with a single fabric interconnect, data traffic is disrupted when the I/O module reboots. For a cluster configuration with two fabric interconnects, data traffic fails over to the other I/O module and the fabric interconnect in its data path.

If you activate the new firmware as the startup version only, the I/O module reboots when the corresponding fabric interconnect is rebooted.

If you activate the new firmware as the running and startup version, the I/O module reboots immediately.

An I/O module can take up to ten minutes to become available after a firmware upgrade.

Outage Impact of a CIMC Firmware Upgrade

When you upgrade the firmware for a CIMC in a server, you impact only the CIMC and internal processes. You do not interrupt server traffic. This firmware upgrade causes the following outage impacts and disruptions to the CIMC:

Any activities being performed on the server through the KVM console and vMedia are interrupted.

Any monitoring or IPMI polling is interrupted.

Outage Impact of an Adapter Firmware Upgrade

If you activate the firmware for an adapter and do not configure the Set Startup Version Only option, you cause the following outage impacts and disruptions:

The server reboots.

Server traffic is disrupted.

Firmware Upgrades through Service Profiles

You can use service profiles to upgrade the server and adapter firmware, including the BIOS on the server, by defining the following policies and including them in the service profile associated with a server:

Host Firmware Package policy

Management Firmware Package policy

Note

You cannot upgrade the firmware on an I/O module, fabric interconnect, or Cisco UCS Manager through service profiles. You must upgrade the firmware on those endpoints directly.

Host Firmware Package

This policy enables you to specify a set of firmware versions that make up the host firmware package (also known as the host firmware pack). The host firmware includes the following firmware for server and adapter endpoints:

Adapter

BIOS

Board Controller

FC Adapters

HBA Option ROM

Storage Controller

Tip

You can include more than one type of firmware in the same host firmware package. For example, a host firmware package can include both BIOS firmware and storage controller firmware or adapter firmware for two different models of adapters. However, you can only have one firmware version with the same type, vendor, and model number. The system recognizes which firmware version is required for an endpoint and ignores all other firmware versions.

The firmware package is pushed to all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy.

This policy ensures that the host firmware is identical on all servers associated with service profiles which use the same policy. Therefore, if you move the service profile from one server to another, the firmware versions are maintained. Also, if you change the firmware version for an endpoint in the firmware package, new versions are applied to all the affected service profiles immediately, which could cause server reboots.

You must include this policy in a service profile, and that service profile must be associated with a server for it to take effect.

Prerequisites

This policy is not dependent upon any other policies. However, you must ensure that the appropriate firmware has been downloaded to the fabric interconnect. If the firmware image is not available when Cisco UCS Manager is associating a server with a service profile, Cisco UCS Manager ignores the firmware upgrade and completes the association.

Management Firmware Package

This policy enables you to specify a set of firmware versions that make up the management firmware package (also known as a management firmware pack). The management firmware package includes the Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) on the server. You do not need to use this package if you upgrade the CIMC directly.

The firmware package is pushed to all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. This policy ensures that the CIMC firmware is identical on all servers associated with service profiles which use the same policy. Therefore, if you move the service profile from one server to another, the firmware versions are maintained.

You must include this policy in a service profile, and that service profile must be associated with a server for it to take effect.

This policy is not dependent upon any other policies. However, you must ensure that the appropriate firmware has been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

Stages of a Firmware Upgrade through Service Profiles

You can use the host and management firmware package policies in service profiles to upgrade server and adapter firmware.

Caution

If you modify a host firmware package by adding an endpoint or changing firmware versions for an existing endpoint, Cisco UCS Manager upgrades the endpoints and reboots all servers associated with that firmware package as soon as the changes are saved, disrupting data traffic to and from the servers.

New Service Profile

For a new service profile, this upgrade takes place over the following stages:

Firmware Package Policy Creation

During this stage, you create the host and/or management firmware packages and include them in the appropriate firmware policies.

Service Profile Association

During this stage, you include the firmware packages in a service profile, and then associate the service profile with a server. The system pushes the selected firmware versions to the endpoints. For a host firmware package, the server is rebooted to ensure that the endpoints are running the versions specified in the firmware package.

Existing Service Profile

If the service profile is already associated with a server, Cisco UCS Manager upgrades the firmware as soon as you save the changes to the host firmware packages. For a host firmware package, Cisco UCS Manager reboots the server as soon as the change is saved.

Firmware Downgrades

You downgrade firmware in a Cisco UCS domain in the same way that you upgrade firmware. The package or version that you select when you update the firmware determines whether you are performing an upgrade or a downgrade.

Note

The Cisco UCS Manager CLI does not allow you to downgrade hardware that is not supported in the release to which you are downgrading, Cisco UCS Manager CLI displays an error message if you attempt to downgrade hardware to an unsupported release.

Completing the Prerequisites for Upgrading the Firmware

Prerequisites for Upgrading and Downgrading Firmware

All endpoints in a Cisco UCS domain must be fully functional and all processes must be complete before you begin a firmware upgrade or downgrade on those endpoints. You cannot upgrade or downgrade an endpoint that is not in a functional state. For example, the firmware on a server that has not been discovered cannot be upgraded or downgraded. An incomplete process, such as an FSM that has failed after the maximum number of retries, can cause the upgrade or downgrade on an endpoint to fail. If an FSM is in progress, Cisco UCS Manager queues up the update and activation and runs them when the FSM has completed successfully.

Before you upgrade or downgrade firmware in a Cisco UCS domain, complete the following prerequisites:

Review the Release Notes.

Back up the configuration into an All Configuration backup file.

For a cluster configuration, verify that the high availability status of the fabric interconnects shows that both are up and running.

For a standalone configuration, verify that the Overall Status of the fabric interconnect is Operable.

Verify that all servers, I/O modules, and adapters are fully functional. An inoperable server cannot be upgraded.

Verify that the Cisco UCS domain does not include any critical or major faults. If such faults exist, you must resolve them before you upgrade the system. A critical or major fault may cause the upgrade to fail.

Verify that all servers have been discovered. They do not need to be powered on or associated with a service profile.

If you want to integrate a rack-mount server into the Cisco UCS domain, follow the instructions in the appropriate rack-mount server installation guide for installing and integrating a rack-mount server in a system managed by Cisco UCS Manager.

Creating an All Configuration Backup File

This procedure assumes that you do not have an existing backup operation for an All Configuration backup file.

Before You Begin

Obtain the backup server IP address and authentication credentials.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope system

Enters system mode.

Step 2

UCS-A /system # create backupURLall-configurationenabled

Creates an enabled All Configuration backup operation that runs as soon as you enter the commit-buffer command. The all-configuration option backs up the server, fabric, and system related configuration. Specify the URL for the backup file using one of the following syntax:

ftp://username@hostname/path

scp://username@hostname/path

sftp://username@hostname/path

tftp://hostname:port-num/path

Step 3

UCS-A /system # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction.

The following example uses SCP to create an All Configuration backup file on the host named host35 and commits the transaction:

Verify that the operability of the fabric interconnects is in the Operable state. If the operability is not in the Operable state, run a show tech-support command and contact Cisco Technical Support. Do not proceed with the firmware upgrade. For more information about the show tech-support command, see the Cisco UCS Manager B-Series Troubleshooting Guide.

The following example displays that the operability for both fabric interconnects is in the Operable state:

Verifying the High Availability Status and Roles of a Cluster Configuration

The high availability status is the same for both fabric interconnects in a cluster configuration.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# show cluster state

Displays the operational state and leadership role for both fabric interconnects in a high availability cluster.

Verify that both fabric interconnects (A and B) are in the Up state and HA is in the Ready state. If the fabric interconnects are not in the Up state or HA is not in the Ready state, run a show tech-support command and contact Cisco Technical Support. Do not proceed with the firmware upgrade. For more information about the show tech-support command, see the Cisco UCS Troubleshooting Guide.

Also note which fabric interconnect has the primary role and which has the subordinate role; you will need to know this information to upgrade the firmware on the fabric interconnects.

The following example displays that both fabric interconnects are in the Up state, HA is in the Ready state, fabric interconnect A has the primary role, and fabric interconnect B has the subordinate role:

Verifying the Status of an I/O Module

If your Cisco UCS is running in a high availability cluster configuration, you must verify the status for both I/O modules in all chassis.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope chassischassis-id

Enters chassis mode for the specified chassis.

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis # scope iomiom-id

Enters chassis I/O module mode for the selected I/O module.

Step 3

UCS-A # show

Shows the status of the specified I/O module on the specified chassis.

Verify that the overall status of the I/O module is in the Operable state. If the overall status is not in the Operable state, run a show tech-support command and contact Cisco Technical Support. Do not proceed with the firmware upgrade. For more information about the show tech-support command, see the Cisco UCS Troubleshooting Guide.

The following example displays that the overall status for both I/O modules on chassis 1 is in the Operable state:

Verifying the Status of a Server

Enters chassis server mode for the specified server in the specified chassis.

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis/server # show status detail

Shows the status detail of the server.

Verify that the overall status of the server is Ok, Unavailable, or any value that does not indicate a failure. If the overall status is in a state that indicates a failure, such as Discovery Failed, the endpoints on that server cannot be upgraded.

The following example displays that the overall status for server 7 on chassis 1 is in the Ok state:

Verifying the Status of Adapters on Servers in a Chassis

Enters chassis server mode for the specified server in the specified chassis

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis/server # show adapter status

Displays the status of the adapter.

Verify that the overall status of the adapter is in the Operable state. If the overall status of the adapter is in any state other than Operable, you cannot upgrade it. However, you can proceed with the upgrade for the other adapters in the Cisco UCS domain.

The following example displays that the overall status for the adapter in server 7 on chassis 1 is in the Operable state:

The Unified Computing System (UCS) Documentation Roadmap Bundle, which is accessible through these paths, is a downloadable ISO image of all Cisco UCS documentation.

Step 6

On the first page from which you download a software bundle, click the Release Notes link to download the latest version of the Release Notes.

Step 7

For each software bundle that you want to download, do the following:

Click the link for the release you want to downloadthe latest release 2.0 software bundle.

The release number is followed by a number and a letter in parentheses. The number identifies the maintenance release level, and the letter differentiates between patches of that maintenance release. For more information about what is in each maintenance release and patch, see the latest version of the Release Notes.

Click one of the following buttons and follow the instructions provided:

Download Now—Allows you to download the software bundle immediately.

Add to Cart—Adds the software bundle to your cart to be downloaded at a later time.

Follow the prompts to complete your download of the software bundle(s).

Step 8

Read the Release Notes before upgrading your Cisco UCS domain.

What to Do Next

Download the software bundles to the fabric interconnect.

Downloading Firmware Images to the Fabric Interconnect from a Remote Location

Note

In a cluster setup, the image file for the firmware bundle is downloaded to both fabric interconnects, regardless of which fabric interconnect is used to initiate the download. Cisco UCS Manager maintains all firmware packages and images in both fabric interconnects in sync. If one fabric interconnect is down, the download still finishes successfully. The images are synced to the other fabric interconnect when it comes back online.

Before You Begin

Obtain the required firmware bundles from Cisco.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope firmware

Enters firmware mode.

Step 2

UCS-A /firmware # download imageURL

Downloads the firmware bundle for
Cisco UCS. Using the download path provided by Cisco, specify the URL with one of the following syntax:

ftp://server-ip-addr/path

scp://username@server-ip-addr/path

sftp://username@server-ip-addr/path

tftp://server-ip-addr:port-num/path

Note

TFTP has a file size limitation of 32 MB. Because firmware bundles can be much larger than that, we recommend that you do not select TFTP for firmware downloads.

If you use a hostname rather than an IP address, configure a DNS server in Cisco UCS Manager.

Step 3

Enter the password for the remote server.

The password for the remote server username. This field does not apply if the protocol is tftp.

Step 4

UCS-A /firmware # show download-task

Displays the status for your download task. When your image is completely downloaded, the task state changes from Downloading to Downloaded. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show download-task command multiple times until the task state displays Downloaded.

Step 5

Repeat this task until all of the firmware bundles have been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

The following example uses SCP to download the ucs-k9-bundle.1.0.0.988.gbin firmware package.

After the image file for the firmware bundles have downloaded completely, update the firmware on the endpoints.

Displaying the Firmware Package Download Status

After a firmware download operation has been started, you can check the download status to see if the package is still downloading or if it has completely downloaded.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope firmware

Enters firmware mode.

Step 2

UCS-A /firmware # show download-task

Displays the status for your download task. When your image is completely downloaded, the task state changes from Downloading to Downloaded. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show download-task command multiple times until the task state displays Downloaded.

The following example displays the download status for the ucs-k9-bundle.1.0.0.988.gbin firmware package. The show download-task command is entered multiple times until the download state indicates that the firmware package has been downloaded:

Canceling an Image Download

You can cancel the download task for an image only while it is in progress. After the image has downloaded, deleting the download task does not delete the image that was downloaded. You cannot cancel the FSM related to the image download task.

Displaying All Available Software Images on the Fabric Interconnect

This procedure is optional and displays the available software images on the fabric interconnect for all endpoints. You can also use the show image command in each endpoint mode to display the available software images for that endpoint.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope firmware

Enters firmware mode.

Step 2

UCS-A /firmware # show image

Displays all software images downloaded onto the fabric interconnect.

Note

You must provide the software version number when directly updating an endpoint. If you intend to directly update firmware at an endpoint, note its version number in the right column.

The following example displays all available software images on the fabric interconnect:

Displaying All Available Packages on the Fabric Interconnect

This procedure is optional and displays the available software packages on the fabric interconnect for all endpoints.. You can also use the show package command in each endpoint mode to display the available software images for that endpoint.

Checking the Available Space on a Fabric Interconnect

If an image download fails, check whether the bootflash on the fabric interconnect or fabric interconnects in the Cisco UCS has sufficient available space.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope fabric-interconnect{a | b}

Enters fabric interconnect mode for the specified fabric.

Step 2

UCS-A /fabric-interconnect # show storage[detail | expand}

Displays the available space for the specified fabric.

Note

When you download a firmware image bundle, a fabric interconnect needs at least twice as much available space as the size of the firmware image bundle. If the bootflash does not have sufficient space, delete the obsolete firmware, core files, and other unneeded objects from the fabric interconnect.

The following example displays the available space for a fabric interconnect:

Updating and Activating the Firmware on an Adapter

Caution

Do not remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update process has completed. If the hardware is removed or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the firmware update fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on an endpoint with a corrupted backup partition.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope adapterchassis-id/blade-id/adapter-id

Enters chassis server adapter mode for the specified adapter.

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis/server/adapter # show image

Displays the available software images for the adapter.

Step 3

UCS-A /chassis/server/adapter # update firmware version-num

Updates the selected firmware version on the adapter.

Step 4

UCS-A /chassis/server/adapter # commit-buffer

(Optional)

Commits the transaction.

Use this step only if you intend to use the show firmware command in Step 5 to verify that the firmware update completed successfully before activating the firmware in Step 6. You can skip this step and commit the update-firmware and activate-firmware commands in the same transaction; however, if the firmware update does not complete successfully, the firmware activation does not start.

Cisco UCS Manager copies the selected firmware image to the backup memory partition and verifies that image is not corrupt. The image remains as the backup version until you explicitly activate it.

Step 5

UCS-A /chassis/server/adapter # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware update.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware update completed successfully. The firmware update is complete when the update status is Ready. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Updating to Ready. Continue to Step 6 when the update status is Ready.

Use the set-startup-only keyword if you want to move the activated firmware into the pending-next-boot state and not immediately reboot the server. The activated firmware does not become the running version of firmware on the adapter until the server is rebooted. You cannot use the set-startup-only keyword for an adapter in the host firmware package.

Use the ignorecompcheck keyword if you want to ignore the compatibility check and activate the firmware regardless of any possible incompatibilities or currently executing tasks.

Step 7

UCS-A /chassis/server/adapter # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction.

If a server is not associated with a service profile, the activated firmware remains in the pending-next-boot state. Cisco UCS Manager does not reboot the endpoints or activate the firmware until the server is associated with a service profile. If necessary, you can manually reboot or reset an unassociated server to activate the firmware.

Step 8

UCS-A /chassis/server/adapter # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware activation.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware activation completed successfully. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Activating to Ready.

The following example updates and activates the adapter firmware to version 1.2(1) in the same transaction, without verifying that the firmware update and firmware activation completed successfully:

The following example updates the adapter firmware to version 1.2(1), verifies that the firmware update completed successfully before starting the firmware activation, activates the adapter firmware, and verifies that the firmware activation completed successfully:

Updating and Activating the BIOS Firmware on a Server

Caution

Do not remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update process has completed. If the hardware is removed or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the firmware update fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on an endpoint with a corrupted backup partition.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope serverchassis-id/blade-id

Enters chassis server mode for the specified server.

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis/server # scope bios

Enters chassis server BIOS mode.

Step 3

UCS-A /chassis/server/bios # show image

Displays the available BIOS firmware images.

Step 4

UCS-A /chassis/server/bios # update firmwareversion-num

Updates the selected BIOS firmware for the server.

Step 5

UCS-A /chassis/server/bios # commit-buffer

(Optional)

Commits the transaction.

Use this step only if you intend to use the show firmware command in Step 6 to verify that the firmware update completed successfully before activating the firmware in Step 7. You can skip this step and commit the update-firmware and activate-firmware commands in the same transaction; however, if the firmware update does not complete successfully, the firmware activation does not start.

Cisco UCS Manager copies the selected firmware image to the backup memory partition and verifies that image is not corrupt. The image remains as the backup version until you explicitly activate it.

Step 6

UCS-A /chassis/server/bios # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware update.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware update completed successfully. The firmware update is complete when the update status is Ready. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Updating to Ready. Continue to Step 7 when the update status is Ready.

Use the ignorecompcheck keyword if you want to ignore the compatibility check and activate the firmware regardless of any possible incompatibilities or currently executing tasks.

Step 8

UCS-A /chassis/server/bios # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction.

Step 9

UCS-A /chassis/bios # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware activation.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware activation completed successfully. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Activating to Ready.

The following example updates and activates the BIOS firmware in the same transaction, without verifying that the firmware update and activation completed successfully:

Updating and Activating the CIMC Firmware on a Server

The activation of firmware for a CIMC does not disrupt data traffic. However, it will interrupt all KVM sessions and disconnect any vMedia attached to the server.

Caution

Do not remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update process has completed. If the hardware is removed or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the firmware update fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on an endpoint with a corrupted backup partition.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope serverchassis-id/blade-id

Enters chassis server mode for the specified server.

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis/server # scope cimc

Enters chassis server CIMC mode.

Step 3

UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # show image

Displays the available software images for the adapter.

Step 4

UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # update firmwareversion-num

Updates the selected firmware version on the CIMC in the server.

Step 5

UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # commit-buffer

(Optional)

Commits the transaction.

Use this step only if you intend to use the show firmware command in Step 6 to verify that the firmware update completed successfully before activating the firmware in Step 7. You can skip this step and commit the update-firmware and activate-firmware commands in the same transaction; however, if the firmware update does not complete successfully, the firmware activation does not start.

Cisco UCS Manager copies the selected firmware image to the backup memory partition and verifies that image is not corrupt. The image remains as the backup version until you explicitly activate it.

Step 6

UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware update.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware update completed successfully. The firmware update is complete when the update status is Ready. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Updating to Ready. Continue to Step 7 when the update status is Ready.

Use the ignorecompcheck keyword if you want to ignore the compatibility check and activate the firmware regardless of any possible incompatibilities or currently executing tasks.

Step 8

UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction.

Step 9

UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware activation.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware activation completed successfully. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Activating to Ready.

The following example updates and activates the CIMC firmware to version 1.2(1) in the same transaction, without verifying that the firmware update and firmware activation completed successfully:

The following example updates the CIMC firmware to version 1.2(1), verifies that the firmware update completed successfully before starting the firmware activation, activates the CIMC firmware, and verifies that the firmware activation completed successfully:

Updating and Activating the Firmware on an IOM

If your system is running in a high availability cluster configuration, you must update and activate both I/O modules.

Caution

Do not remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update process has completed. If the hardware is removed or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the firmware update fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on an endpoint with a corrupted backup partition.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope chassischassis-id

Enters chassis mode for the specified chassis.

Step 2

UCS-A /chassis # scope iomiom-id

Enters chassis I/O module mode for the selected I/O module.

Step 3

UCS-A /chassis/iom # show image

Displays the available software images for the I/O module.

Step 4

UCS-A /chassis/iom # update firmware version-num

Updates the selected firmware version on the I/O module.

Step 5

UCS-A /chassis/iom # commit-buffer

(Optional)

Commits the transaction.

Use this step only if you intend to use the show firmware command in Step 6 to verify that the firmware update completed successfully before activating the firmware in Step 7. You can skip this step and commit the update-firmware and activate-firmware commands in the same transaction; however, if the firmware update does not complete successfully, the firmware activation does not start.

Cisco UCS Manager copies the selected firmware image to the backup memory partition and verifies that image is not corrupt. The image remains as the backup version until you explicitly activate it.

Step 6

UCS-A /chassis/iom # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware update.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware update completed successfully. The firmware update is complete when the update status is Ready. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Updating to Ready. Continue to Step 7 when the update status is Ready.

Use the set-startup-only keyword if you want to reboot the I/O module only when the fabric interconnect in its data path reboots. If you do not use the set-startup-only keyword, the I/O module reboots and disrupts traffic. In addition, if Cisco UCS Manager detects a protocol and firmware version mismatch between it and the I/O module, it updates the I/O module with the firmware version that matches its own and then activates the firmware and reboots the I/O module again.

Use the ignorecompcheck keyword if you want to ignore the compatibility check and activate the firmware regardless of any possible incompatibilities or currently executing tasks.

Step 8

UCS-A /chassis/iom # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction.

Step 9

UCS-A /chassis/iom # show firmware

(Optional)

Displays the status of the firmware activation.

Use this step only if you want to verify that the firmware activation completed successfully. The CLI does not automatically refresh, so you may have to enter the show firmware command multiple times until the task state changes from Activating to Ready.

The following example updates and activates the I/O module firmware to version 1.2(1) in the same transaction, without verifying that the firmware update and firmware activation completed successfully:

The following example updates the I/O module firmware to version 1.2(1), verifies that the firmware update completed successfully before starting the firmware activation, activates the I/O module firmware, and verifies that the firmware activation completed successfully:

Activating the Board Controller Firmware on a Server

Only certain servers, such as the Cisco UCS B440 High Performance blade server and the Cisco UCS B230 blade server, have board controller firmware. The board controller firmware controls many of the server functions, including eUSBs, LEDs, and I/O connectors.

Note

This activation procedure causes the server to reboot. Depending upon whether or not the service profile associated with the server includes a maintenance policy, the reboot can occur immediately. To reduce the number of times a server needs to be rebooted during the upgrade process, we recommend that you upgrade the board controller firmware through the host firmware package in the service profile as the last step of upgrading a Cisco UCS domain, along with the server BIOS.

Activates the selected firmware version on the board controller in the server.

Use the ignorecompcheck keyword if you want to ignore the compatibility check and activate the firmware regardless of any possible incompatibilities or currently executing tasks.

Step 6

UCS-A /chassis/server/boardcontroller # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

Cisco UCS Manager disconnects all active sessions, logs out all users, and activates the software. When the upgrade is complete, you are prompted to log back in. If you are prompted to re-login immediately after being disconnected, the login will fail. You must wait until the activation of Cisco UCS Manager is completed, which takes a few minutes.

For a standalone configuration with a single fabric interconnect, you can minimize the disruption to data traffic when you perform a direct firmware upgrade of the endpoints. However, you must reboot the fabric interconnect to complete the upgrade and, therefore, cannot avoid disrupting traffic.

Tip

If you ever need to recover the password to the admin account that was created when you configured the fabric interconnects for the Cisco UCS domain, you must know the running kernel version and the running system version. If you do not plan to create additional accounts, we recommend that you save the path to these firmware versions in a text file so that you can access them if required.

Cisco UCS Manager updates and activates the firmware, and then reboots the fabric interconnect and any I/O module in the data path to that fabric interconnect, disrupting data traffic to and from that fabric interconnect.

The following example upgrades the fabric interconnect to version 4.0(1a)N2(1.2.1) and commits the transaction:

Host Firmware Package

This policy enables you to specify a set of firmware versions that make up the host firmware package (also known as the host firmware pack). The host firmware includes the following firmware for server and adapter endpoints:

Adapter

BIOS

Board Controller

FC Adapters

HBA Option ROM

Storage Controller

Tip

You can include more than one type of firmware in the same host firmware package. For example, a host firmware package can include both BIOS firmware and storage controller firmware or adapter firmware for two different models of adapters. However, you can only have one firmware version with the same type, vendor, and model number. The system recognizes which firmware version is required for an endpoint and ignores all other firmware versions.

The firmware package is pushed to all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy.

This policy ensures that the host firmware is identical on all servers associated with service profiles which use the same policy. Therefore, if you move the service profile from one server to another, the firmware versions are maintained. Also, if you change the firmware version for an endpoint in the firmware package, new versions are applied to all the affected service profiles immediately, which could cause server reboots.

You must include this policy in a service profile, and that service profile must be associated with a server for it to take effect.

Prerequisites

This policy is not dependent upon any other policies. However, you must ensure that the appropriate firmware has been downloaded to the fabric interconnect. If the firmware image is not available when Cisco UCS Manager is associating a server with a service profile, Cisco UCS Manager ignores the firmware upgrade and completes the association.

Management Firmware Package

This policy enables you to specify a set of firmware versions that make up the management firmware package (also known as a management firmware pack). The management firmware package includes the Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) on the server. You do not need to use this package if you upgrade the CIMC directly.

The firmware package is pushed to all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. This policy ensures that the CIMC firmware is identical on all servers associated with service profiles which use the same policy. Therefore, if you move the service profile from one server to another, the firmware versions are maintained.

You must include this policy in a service profile, and that service profile must be associated with a server for it to take effect.

This policy is not dependent upon any other policies. However, you must ensure that the appropriate firmware has been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

To update firmware through a host firmware package or a management firmware package, you need to update the firmware in the package. What happens after you save the changes to a host or management firmware package depends upon how the Cisco UCS domain is configured.

The following table describes the most common options for upgrading servers with a host or management firmware package.

Service Profile

Maintenance Policy

Upgrade Actions

Host or management firmware package is not included in a service profile or an updating service profile template.

OR

You want to upgrade the firmware without making any changes to the existing service profile or updating service profile template.

No maintenance policy

After you update the firmware package, do one of the following:

To reboot and upgrade some or all servers simultaneously, follow the procedure in the Cisco UCS Manager configuration guides for the appropriate release to add the firmware package to one or more service profiles that are associated with servers or to an updating service profile template.

To reboot and upgrade one server at a time, do the following for each server:

Create a new service profile and include the firmware package in that service profile.

Dissociate the server from its service profile.

Associate the server with the new service profile.

After the server has been rebooted and the firmware upgraded, disassociate the server from the new service profile and associate it with its original service profile.

Caution

If the original service profile includes a scrub policy, this procedure may result in data loss when the disk or the BIOS is scrubbed upon association with the new service profile.

Host or management firmware package is included in one or more service profiles, and the service profiles are associated with one or more servers.

OR

Host or management firmware package is included in an updating service profile template, and the service profiles created from that template are associated with one or more servers.

No maintenance policy

OR

A maintenance policy configured for immediate updates.

The following occurs when you update the firmware package:

The changes to the firmware package take effect as soon as you save them.

Cisco UCS Manager verifies the model numbers and vendor against all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. If the model numbers and vendor match a firmware version in the policy, Cisco UCS Manager reboots the servers and updates the firmware.

All servers associated with service profiles that include the firmware package are rebooted at the same time.

Host or management firmware package is included in one or more service profiles, and the service profiles are associated with one or more servers.

OR

Host or management firmware package is included in an updating service profile template, and the service profiles created from that template are associated with one or more servers.

Configured for user acknowledgment

The following occurs when you update the firmware package:

Cisco UCS Manager asks you to confirm your change and advises that a user-acknowledged reboot of the servers is required.

Click the flashing Pending Activities button to select the servers you want to reboot and apply the new firmware.

Cisco UCS Manager verifies the model numbers and vendor against all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. If the model numbers and vendor match a firmware version in the policy, Cisco UCS Manager reboots the server and updates the firmware.

A manual reboot of the servers does not cause Cisco UCS Manager to apply the firmware package, nor does it cancel the pending activities. You must acknowledge or cancel the pending activity through the Pending Activities button.

Host or management firmware package is included in one or more service profiles, and the service profiles are associated with one or more servers.

OR

Host or management firmware package is included in an updating service profile template, and the service profiles created from that template are associated with one or more servers.

Configured for changes to take effect during a specific maintenance window.

The following occurs when you update the firmware package:

Cisco UCS Manager asks you to confirm your change and advises that a user-acknowledged reboot of the servers is required.

Click the flashing Pending Activities button to select the servers you want to reboot and apply the new firmware.

Cisco UCS Manager verifies the model numbers and vendor against all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. If the model numbers and vendor match a firmware version in the policy, Cisco UCS Manager reboots the server and updates the firmware.

A manual reboot of the servers does not cause Cisco UCS Manager to apply the firmware package, nor does it cancel the scheduled maintenance activities.

Creating or Updating a Host Firmware Package

If the policy is included in one or more service profiles associated with a server and those service profiles do not include maintenance policies, Cisco UCS Manager updates and activates the firmware in the server and adapter with the new versions and reboots the server as soon as you save the host firmware package policy.

Tip

You can include more than one type of firmware in the same host firmware package. For example, a host firmware package can include both BIOS firmware and storage controller firmware or adapter firmware for two different models of adapters. However, you can only have one firmware version with the same type, vendor, and model number. The system recognizes which firmware version is required for an endpoint and ignores all other firmware versions.

Before You Begin

Ensure that the appropriate firmware has been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope orgorg-name

Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name.

If your description includes spaces, special characters, or punctuation, you must begin and end your description with quotation marks. The quotation marks will not appear in the description field of any show command output.

Creates a package image for the host firmware package and enters organization firmware host package image mode. The hw-vendor-name and hw-model values are labels that help you easily identify the package image when you enter the show image detail command. The version-num value specifies the version number of the firmware being used for the package image.

The model and model number (PID) must match the servers that are associated with this firmware package. If you select the wrong model or model number, Cisco UCS Manager cannot install the firmware update.

Step 5

UCS-A org/fw-host-pack/pack-image # set versionversion-num

(Optional)

Specifies the package image version number. Changing this number triggers firmware updates on all components using the firmware through a service profile. Use this step only when updating a host firmware package, not when creating a package.

Cisco UCS Manager verifies the model numbers and vendor against all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. If the model numbers and vendor match a firmware version in the policy, Cisco UCS Manager updates the firmware according to the settings in the maintenance policies included in the service profiles.

The following example creates the app1 host firmware package, creates a storage controller package image with version 2009.02.09 firmware, and commits the transaction:

Creating or Updating a Management Firmware Package

Caution

If the policy is included in one or more service profiles associated with a server and those service profiles do not include maintenance policies, Cisco UCS Manager updates and activates the management firmware in the server with the new versions and reboots the server as soon as you save the management firmware package policy

Before You Begin

Ensure that the appropriate firmware has been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope orgorg-name

Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name.

If your description includes spaces, special characters, or punctuation, you must begin and end your description with quotation marks. The quotation marks will not appear in the description field of any show command output.

Creates a package image for the management firmware package and enters organization firmware management package image mode. The hw-vendor-name and hw-model values are labels that help you easily identify the package image when you enter the show image detail command. The version-num value specifies the version number of the firmware being used for the package image.

The model and model number (PID) must match the servers that are associated with this firmware package. If you select the wrong model or model number, Cisco UCS Manager cannot install the firmware update.

Step 5

UCS-A org/fw-mgmt-pack/pack-image # set versionversion-num

(Optional)

Specifies the package image version number. Changing this number triggers firmware updates on all components using the firmware through a service profile. Use this step only when updating a firmware package, not when creating a package.

Step 6

UCS-A org/fw-mgmt-pack/pack-image # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction.

Cisco UCS Manager verifies the model numbers and vendor against all servers associated with service profiles that include this policy. If the model numbers and vendor match a firmware version in the policy, Cisco UCS Manager updates the firmware according to the settings in the maintenance policies included in the service profiles.

The following example creates the cimc1 host firmware package, creates a CIMC package image with version 1.0(0.988) firmware, and commits the transaction:

Capability Catalog

The Capability Catalog is a set of tunable parameters, strings, and rules. Cisco UCS Manager uses the catalog to update the display and configurability of components such as newly qualified DIMMs and disk drives for servers.

The catalog is divided by hardware components, such as the chassis, CPU, local disk, and I/O module. You can use the catalog to view the list of providers available for that component. There is one provider per hardware component. Each provider is identified by the vendor, model (PID), and revision. For each provider, you can also view details of the equipment manufacturer and the form factor.

For information about which hardware components are dependent upon a particular catalog release, see the component support tables in the Service Notes for the B- Series servers. For information about which components are introduced in a specific release, see the Cisco UCSRelease Notes.

Contents of the Capability Catalog

Firmware compatibility for components such as the BIOS, CIMC, RAID controller, and adapters

Diagnostics

Hardware-specific reboot

User Display Strings

Part numbers, such as the CPN, PID/VID

Component descriptions

Physical layout/dimensions

OEM information

Updates to the Capability Catalog

Capability Catalog updates are included in each Cisco UCS Manager update. Unless otherwise instructed by Cisco Technical Support, you only need to activate the Capability Catalog update after you've downloaded, updated, and activated an Cisco UCS Infrastructure Software Bundle.

As soon as you activate a Capability Catalog update, Cisco UCS Manager immediately updates to the new baseline catalog. You do not have to perform any further tasks. Updates to the Capability Catalog do not require you to reboot any component in the Cisco UCS domain or to reinstall Cisco UCS Manager.

Each Cisco UCS Manager release contains a baseline catalog. In rare circumstances, Cisco releases an update to the Capability Catalog and makes it available on the same site where you download firmware images. The catalog update is compatible with Cisco UCS, Release 1.3(1) and later.

Note

The Capability Catalog version is determined by the version of Cisco UCS Manager that you are using. Cisco UCS Manager 2.0 releases work with any 2.0 release of the Capability Catalog, but not with any 1.0 releases of the Capability Catalog. For information about Capability Catalog releases supported by specific Cisco UCS Manager releases, see the Release Notes for Cisco UCS Manager accessible through the Cisco UCS B-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap available at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/go/unifiedcomputing/b-series-doc.

Activating a Capability Catalog Update

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step 1

UCS-A# scope system

Enters system mode.

Step 2

UCS-A /system # scope capability

Enters system capability mode.

Step 3

UCS-A /system/capability # activate firmwarefirmware-version

Activates the specified Capability Catalog version.

Step 4

UCS-A /system/capability # commit-buffer

Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

The following example activates a Capability Catalog update and commits the transaction:

Displays vendor, model, and revision information for all components in the specified component category.

To view manufacturing and form factor details for a specific component, specify the vendor, model, and revision with the expand keyword. If any of these fields contains spaces, you must enclose the field with quotation marks.

Note

If the server contains one or more SATA devices, such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive, the show disk command displays ATA in the Vendor field. Use the expand keyword to display additional vendor information.

The following example lists the installed fans and displays detailed information from the Capability Catalog about a specific fan:

Management Extensions

Management Extension updates are included in each Cisco UCS Manager update. Unless otherwise instructed by Cisco Technical Support, you only need to activate the Management Extension update after you've downloaded, updated, and activated an Cisco UCS Infrastructure Software Bundle.

Management Extensions enable you to add support for previously unsupported servers and other hardware to Cisco UCS Manager. For example, you may need to activate a Management Extension if you want to add a new, previously unsupported server to an existing Cisco UCS domain.

The Management Extension image contains the images, information, and firmware required by Cisco UCS Manager to be able to manage the new hardware.

Cisco UCS Manager may need to access a Management Extension when you activate. Therefore, the Management Extension is locked during the activation and update process.

Activating a Management Extension

The Management Extension is included in the server bundle that you have already downloaded. You do not need to download the Management Extension separately.

To verify the Management Extension version, issue the show version command.